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I have been a fan of Weird Al Yankovic for many years now. The level of respect I have for the man ratcheted up several notches when I read his latest blog post. The story details his journey to create the first single on his upcoming new album, which is a parody of Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way.” This song nearly didn’t make the album, though, due to Ms. Gaga’s disapproval.

Al has long held the belief that he should obtain permission from an artist before releasing a parody based on his work. Legally, he doesn’t have to do this. Morally, he feels it is his duty. Most singers are more than happy to allow the material. After all, it’s more press for them and perhaps even more sales. They all recognize King Yankovic isn’t trying to hurt them in any way. Parodies are fun, after all. His lyrics take a tongue-in-cheek poke at the lyrics of the other tune.

As per his usual way of doing things, his manager contacted Gaga’s handler, requesting permission to use his take on her song as the first single off the new record. The answer was a tad surprising: she wanted to “hear it” prior to agreeing. Thinking this a bit odd (usually people agree after reading the pitch), he agreed to write. Even though he was smack in the middle of his Australian tour, he busted his rump getting the wording just right. The finished song was sent to hers truly in order to read over.

Al sat on pins and needles for several days, praying for the green light. This last bit was all that the recording and release of his new album was waiting on. Sadly, the answer which came back was even more strange than the first: “She actually needs to hear it. Otherwise the answer is no.” Apparently, reading each and every lyric isn’t quite good enough.

The king of parodies locked himself in a studio, cutting short his family vacation. He again pushed himself beyond every limit in order to complete the work. He believed in this song THAT much. He knew in his heart it wouldn’t offend anyone, even though the “Born This Way” original takes a look at serious human rights issues. He even planned to donate all the money from sales of the song and music video to the Human Rights Campaign. That news, coupled with the finished single, made him sure he would get the approval he so craved.

It wasn’t meant to be. Ms. You-Know-Who decided for some reason she didn’t like it, and refused to agree. After all of his hard work – and pretty much being jerked around – Al was quite frustrated. He decided to release the song on YouTube and his own blog instead of including it on the album. This way, his hard work wasn’t for “nothing” and he is still holding to his standard of getting an artist’s approval prior to releasing on an album.

Interestingly enough, the blog post and video garnered enough positive attention that Ms. Yoo-Hoo has changed her tune. The song has been given her blessing, and will be the first single off of the upcoming “ALPOCALYPSE” album. Look for it in stores on June 21st.

I’m not a professional music critic – and don’t pretend to be. However, I’ve gotta tell you that “Straight Outta Lynwood” [SOL] is one of the best albums that “Weird Al” Yankovic has produced to date. Yes, I’m biased – having been a fan of the band ever since the seventh grade. His originals finally, in many ways, outshine his parodies. SOL nails the melodies and harmonies, as expected.

SOL is a bargain at $15: “DualDisc includes PCM Stereo, 5.1 Surround and instrumental mixes of the entire album (with on-screen lyrics option), plus a 9-minute behind-the-scenes documentary and 6 brand new music videos.” I bet you wish your favorite artists did this, too. If there’s anything that’s going to keep physical media alive, it’s jam-packing titles with every bonus imaginable. A few weeks ago, Al unleashed the half-sactioned “You’re Pitiful” online. It isn’t included on the album, though the original artist gave Al permission to do so:

Yankovic recorded the song to be included on his Straight Outta Lynwood album after, according to Yankovic, having been given the James Blunt’s blessing to parody the song. However, following its recording, the artist’s record company, Atlantic Records, allegedly told Yankovic that he could not include the song.

Even after having publicly stated that the band doesn’t make much money from digital purchases (through iTunes or otherwise), Yankovic still treats his fans fairly – he knows that we’ll all buy whatever he creates. In fact, I’ve been known to buy his albums for friends – just because I think that as a serious and smart musician, “Weird Al” is underrated. His musical genius is fully exercised in a few SOL tracks – which won’t leave you SOL.

White and Nerdy: Computer geeks should love these lyrics twice as much as they did “It’s All About the Pentiums” – with references to Wikipedia and MySpace included. Even if you don’t like “rap,” you’re going to love these lyrics. And honestly, which one of us isn’t white and nerdy?! I think I have a new personal theme song. Great way to start the album. Even Ponzi LOL’ed a few times when she first heard it. Five stars.

Pancreas: Out of all the songs on SOL, this one is probably my favorite. It begins a capella, flowing and weaving in a classic “Beach Boys” sound. I’m not sure I’d consider this a complete style parody, though I wouldn’t have been surprised to hear something similar on a TMBG album – which is probably why I love this track so much. If you don’t find yourself strangely attracted to the final refrains, there’s something seriously wrong with you. “Insulin, Glucagon, Coming from the islets of Langerhans.” I can’t get it out of my head. Er, pancreas – if you will. Five stars.

Canadian Idiot: For the second parody on SOL, we have a parody of Green Day’s “American Idiot.” Much like in “Lasagna” and “Pretty Fly for a Rabbi,” Al is finding gold in stereotypes. It’s a fun song, though I must admit that I find myself enjoying the R&B parodies more than punk/rock music these days. Still, I’m not anxious to skip to the next track – if only because the original song is catchy to begin with. If you don’t know anything about Canadian culture, you probably won’t be impressed by this tune (but I bet your Canadian friends will be). Four stars.

I’ll Sue Ya: Speaking to the trend of crazy lawsuits appearing in the headlines every other week, Al gives us a “Kid Rock” style emulation – littered with popular brand names and outlandish experiences with them. I’ve never been attracted to “angsty” music, but this beat is to my liking (far more than an earlier “Young, Dumb, and Ugly”). If there’s a low point on the album, I’d say this is it – unless you happen to be a fan of the genre. Despite my indifference, I don’t consider it to be a “skip track.” I wholly expect these lyrics to show up in a future email joke thread – and please don’t take that as a suggestion. Three stars.

Polkarama!: I look forward to the polkas on every album, always believing they’re not long enough. This accordion-heavy montage does not disappoint. While I couldn’t necessarily name every polkafied artist strewn throughout, I was definitely familiar with every lifted lyric. I think his combination and range of styles (R&B, Rock, Alternative) speaks to Yankovic’s continued range expansion and broad appeal. If you’re not into a wide range of pop music, you might not appreciate Polkarama! half as much. It’s not my favorite polka (as I appreciate his classics more than the newer ones). However, it’ll certainly satiate my polkanerve until the next one bounces in. Four stars.

Virus Alert: Another Yankovic classic has been born – very upbeat, very addictive, original, and extremely replayable. If I played this tune back-to-back with “Hardware Store,” it’d make for a smart mix. Al’s falsetto feels natural and really fits inside this composition – with the lyrics being equally as amazing as the music itself. I find myself hitting the rewind button for this one – and not just because it’s about technology. I’m blown away by the song’s entire structure, particularly during “If you even get infected. turn off your computer, and make sure it powers down..” Can’t help but sing along. Too much fun. Five stars.

Confessions Part III: You might remember Confessions part I & II, so this is. what you’d never expect from a third one. Usher probably should have stopped with one, but I’m glad that Al made it a soul-bearing hat trick. The original song was ripe for satire – strong enough to support a parody. We’ve all been in love, and we’ve all done wacky (read: inexplicable) things in those relationships. Of course, I don’t know if any of you like to dress up like Shirley Temple and beat yourselves with a hockey stick – but you should enjoy the open confessional nonetheless. Four stars.

Weasel Stomping Day: Oh. My. God. This is Dr. Seuss in Bizzaro World! Close your eyes and try to imagine this one, folks. Not sure why Al references mayonnaise for the second time on the same album, but. that’s not the point. What sound does a weasel make when it’s stomped? There’s no safer way of finding out, I can assure you. The song is festive, but leaves the listener with a gigantic question: just exactly when is Weasel Stomping Day? I’d personally like to nominate July 27th if it hasn’t already been suggested. Let’s all celebrate! Five stars.

Close But No Cigar: Another Yankovic original – and likely his best non-parody relationship-centric song to date. “And I loved her even more than Marlon Brando loved soufflâ€š.” “And I was crazy like Manson about her…” “She got me all choked up like Mama Cass.” – Dennis Miller would be proud. The music, in and of itself, has an addictive pop quality to it. Then again, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. I really like it, but I don’t think I love it. Four stars.

Do I Creep You Out: I make it a point to watch the first few episodes of every American Idol season. Taylor Hicks kinda looks like Jeff Barr to me, though. I enjoy a good ballad every once in a while, so this serves my ears well. It’s over in less than three minutes, which is fine by me. My guess is that this track served as a substitute for the Blunt parody, though. I wanna lip sync this at my wedding reception – if only for shock value. Four stars.

Trapped in the Drive-Thru: You can always count on one extended track on a Weird Al album. This time, it was a pointed parody of a pointless R. Kelly rambling. In many ways, Yankovic did a better job with it! I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that some of these lyrics were based on actual events in Al’s life. I can tell you that Ponzi and I had the “Olive Garden” argument recently. Art imitates life. Although, Ponzi sold my bunny slippers on eBay last week. Five stars.

Don’t Download This Song: Yes, it’s what you think. Imagine if “We Are The World” was dedicated to the plight of the millionaire musician. The anthem is long overdue. You might have seen the video when it was uploaded to the Internet a few weeks ago. Aptly, you couldn’t easily download the encoded video. Listen to the very end – he screams “Ya cheap bastard!” Heh. The physical media was quite affordable, actually – filled to the edge with value. Four stars.

You’re Pitiful (Unreleased): He starts singing early, but that flub wasn’t edited out before the song was released and distributed to fans (in an unofficial capacity, as mentioned earlier). It’s too bad Atlantic had a stick up their ass about not including this in SOL, because it would have fit in well. Since I don’t listen to much popular music these days, I wasn’t tired of the “You’re Beautiful” sound by the time I heard this track. Xbox geeks will love the Halo 2 reference, but I still crack up every time I hear “farty pants.” Five stars.

Ponzi listens to artists like Chamillionaire, R. Kelly, and Usher all the time – so hip hop music regularly flows through our halls at home. It’s because of this that I find SOL so interesting and fun. Had my tastes not been influenced by my fiance’s choice of music, I don’t know how I’d feel about the album.

The included videos are somewhat fun; “Weasel Stomping Day” (Robot Chicken) and “Close But No Cigar” (Kricfalusi!) really hit it out of the park. I’m disappointed that “White and Nerdy” didn’t make the DualDisc, though – I was hoping to watch a higher quality version of it. If the visual extras don’t win you over, then perhaps the instrumental tracks and 5.1 surround sound recordings will. SOL is an absolute bargain at $15.

Perhaps other artists should start copying Al – filling their physical albums to the brim with value. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?

Stumbled into this “gift” accidentally while assembling a total Yankovic playlist this afternoon. You can hear :30 teasers for each Straight Outta Lynwood track, so long as you have URGE and WMP11 installed (Windows only). No account necessary. MTV must’ve added his new album at some point in the past day. Do an Artist search for Yankovic (in URGE) and you should see SOL top the list. Select the album tracks as well as another track from another album (like Couch Potato from Poodle Hat), then right-click the non-SOL track and select “Play” from the context menu. This should tide you over until Tuesday morning – which is when you’ll buy the full album:

If you don’t buy the album, I’m going to rip your heart right out of your rib cage with my bare hands and then throw it on the floor and stomp on it ’til you die – especially if you’re white and nerdy.

The first single from “Straight Outta Lynwood” will World Premiere on Al’s MySpace page on Monday, August 21 at 6 PM Pacific time (9 PM Eastern)! And because Al’s feeling so darn generous, he’s going to make THIS song a free download TOO!

And…

AlÃ¢â¬â¢s video for Ã¢â¬ÅDonÃ¢â¬â¢t Download This SongÃ¢â¬Â? will be shown on Yahoo! Music Video Premieres this Wednesday, August 23! For those not keeping up with all the spoilers, this video is expected to be animated by Bill Plympton, and the music is expected to be in the style of the great Ã¢â¬â¢80s charity song, Ã¢â¬ÅWe Are The World.Ã¢â¬Â?

And…

The New Album Ã¢â¬â In Stores September 26. PRE-ORDER NOW! Featuring parodies of Chamillionaire, Green Day, Usher, R. Kelly and Taylor Hicks! DualDisc includes PCM Stereo, 5.1 Surround and instrumental mixes of the entire album (with on-screen lyrics option), plus a 9-minute behind-the-scenes documentary and 6 BRAND NEW MUSIC VIDEOS!

Yankovic recorded the song to be included on his Straight Outta Lynwood album after, according to Yankovic, having been given Blunt’s blessing to parody the song. However, following its recording, Blunt’s record company, Atlantic Records, allegedly told Yankovic that he could not include the song. (When asked by NPR, Atlantic had no official comment on the matter.)

Yankovic has a history of obtaining songwriters’ approval prior to releasing his parodies, with the exception of a miscommunication surrounding “Amish Paradise,” a parody of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”. However, Yankovic told NPR that this was the first time a record label has quashed a release of one of his parodies. “[I]f James Blunt himself were objecting,” Yankovic told NPR, “I wouldn’t even offer my parody for free on my Web site. But since it’s a bunch of suits — who are actually going against their own artist’s wishes — I have absolutely no problem with it.”

Yankovic told NPR in an e-mail that the question of whether Atlantic could legally forbid the parody, given the United States Supreme Court’s 1994 Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. decision recognizing parody as fair use, is “moot,” saying that the issue was “more of a political matter than a legal matter,” suggesting that both Blunt and Volcano (Yankovic’s label) would wish to avoid alienating Atlantic.

As mentioned, Yankovic released the song for free distribution on the Internet and it has become popular on The Dr. Demento Show. [via Wikipedia]

I’ve died and gone to heaven. Over there on WeirdAl.com, they’ve posted a free MP3 download (192kbps). According to the filename, the new song is titled “You’re Pitiful.” No word on whether this track will be on his upcoming album, but we diehard Weird Al fans will love it no matter what! Their server seems to be getting slammed right now – so be patient. It’s a parody of the famous James Blunt song (You’re Beautiful). Here are the lyrics, after giving it a few good listens. Amazing, Al – amazing. Thanks for doing this!!!Continue reading Weird Al Yankovic Releases Free MP3→